The flyweight picture just got a little more interesting as Manel Kape is out of his fight with Brandon Royval at UFC 317 and Joshua Van stepping in.
Royval announced it on his Instagram account.
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“Manel Kape is out, Joshua Van is stepping in. I have zero idea of the extent of Manel Kape’s injuries but I do know I have the hottest prospect and probably the most exciting UFC flyweight in front of me. Really nothing changes for me as far as what’s in front of me. I’ve got a gangster that’s ready to take my head off and earn his name off of me,” said Royval
Kape (21-7) has long been calling for a title shot during his UFC run. Seemingly out of pure bad luck Kape has a long list of cancelations on his record, and this one might set him back even more. The fight was expected to be a #1 contender bout with both Kape and Royval ranked high in the division.
Instead Royval will now face Van who comes off a TKO victory over Bruno Silva at UFC 316. The 23-year-old has taken advantage of his opportunities riding a 4-fight win streak into a the biggest fight of his career against Royval.
UFC 317 takes place June 28 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
